By Jenifer Lisset
Imagine a child, just removed from their home. They now face a court that will decide where they belong. But the child cannot begin to achieve stability until an attorney is appointed to represent the child’s wishes. Legal Aid’s Children’s Attorney Project fills that role for many children, but not all of them. Where a conflict exists, Legal Aid can’t step in. So a child who has already lost their home is left with no one to speak for them.
That’s the gap I spent my summer trying to close.
I came to it as this year’s Melanie Kushnir “Access to Justice” fellow. My task was simple: re-engage former pro bono attorneys—lawyers who had shown up before, and might again. More and more of our most vulnerable community members need representation, and there are not enough hands to go around. So I emailed, called, and pitched in person. Behind every ask sat the same image—a child who cannot voice their wishes without a lawyer.
Some attorneys took on a case right away. It seemed as though they were waiting to be asked again. Other attorneys hesitated. They were busy. They worried the work sat outside their practice. I understood. Pro bono can feel like one more thing in an already full day. But then something would shift. They remembered a case or remembered why they went to law school. Then, they said, “Yes.”
That was the part I hoped for. This work is not only about filling a gap. It is about reminding attorneys of all kinds of advocacy the law encompasses. One child, one voice, and one hearing where someone finally speaks for them. That is not a small thing. Not to that child, or to our community.
It is easy to forget the impact a pro bono matter has in the rush of a busy life. Re-discovering it takes only one case. If you have ever taken a pro bono matter, you already know the feeling. If you have not, there is a child waiting for you, too.
To re-discover pro bono, visit https://www.lacsnprobono.org/volunteer-attorneys/available-cases.
About the author
Jenifer Lissett is a 2L at the William S. Boyd School of Law. She served as the 2026 Melanie Kushnir “Access to Justice” Fellow. She is an active member of the Boyd Law community, serving on the board of the Criminal Law Society and as a Boyd Ambassador.
About the article
This article was originally published in the Communiqué (Sep 2026), the official publication of the Clark County Bar Association.
The articles and advertisements appearing in Communiqué magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCBA, the CCBA Publications Committee, the editorial board, or the other authors. All legal and other issues discussed are not for the purpose of answering specific legal questions. Attorneys and others are strongly advised to independently research all issues.
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